Contribution and Marginal Costing Essay

This is an important business concept and must never be confused with profit. The contribution of a product refers to how much it contributes to the fixed costs and profit of the business once variable costs have been covered. It can be calculated either per unit of output or in terms of total contribution of all units produced. Contribution ignores fixed costs and only considers any surplus left once variable costs have been subtracted from revenue. Hence, contribution is what a product contributes towards the fixed costs of the business and, once these are paid, the profits of the business. Managers need to know, as accurately as possible, the cost of each product or service produced by the firm. One reason for this is the need to make a pricing decision. In fact, buyers of many products will want an estimated price or a quotation before they agree to purchase. Managers may also need to decide whether production should be stopped, stepped up or switched to new methods or new materials. Managers also need to compare actual product costs with original budgets and to compare the current period with past time periods. In calculating the cost of a product, both direct labor and direct materials are often easy to identify and allocate to each product. For instance, the materials used in making product X are allocated directly to the cost of that product. These are not the only costs involved. Overheads, or indirect costs, cannot be allocated directly to each product but must be ‘shared’ between all of the items produced by a business. There is more than one costing method that can be used to apportion these costs and, therefore, there may be more than one answer to the question: ‘How much does a product cost to produce?’ contribution costing method that only allocates direct costs to cost/profit centers not overhead costs. This approach to costing solves the problem of how to apportion or divide overhead costs between products – it does not apportion them at all. Instead, the method concentrates on two very important accounting concepts: †¢Marginal cost is the cost of producing an extra unit. This extra cost will clearly be a variable direct cost. For example, if the total cost of producing 100 units is $400 000 and the total cost of producing 101 units is $400 050, the marginal cost is $50. †¢The contribution to fixed costs and profit. This is the revenue gained from selling a product less its variable direct costs. This is not the same as profit, which can only be calculated after overheads have also been deducted. For example, if that 101st unit with a variable (marginal) cost of $50 is sold for $70, it has made a contribution towards fixed costs of $20. The unit contribution is found as the difference between the sale price ($70) and the extra variable cost ($50), that is $20.

How do I know anything?

The Film The Matrix was a Box Office hit due to the idea it presented to the audience. Even though Descartes' Meditations inspired the film, the idea of living in a computer simulated environment was an interesting, original concept that had been created recently. It opened up a question, how do I know anything? It is possible that we may be living in a computer-simulated environment, or in a big dream of some sort. We are unable to prove any of this at the moment, which could then possibly lead to scepticism about this theory. The only real argument to support the theory is to use the fact that our government keeps information confidential from the public, for a number of reasons. This demonstrates that there are things that we do not know; therefore, we should not totally doubt what we do not know, and that we may be living in a simulated environment. There is also the problem of perception. It is easy for us to perceive something to be different to what it really is. Magicians use optical illusions to fool us. If we are living in a simulated environment, then how can we break ourselves away from the perception that we are in, to separate ourselves from the simulation, and find out what the other reality is like? The closest technology has come to simulating environments is virtual reality. The environment is simulated, allowing humans to interact, although they may be elsewhere. The graphics within virtual reality are still basic, and this is one of the reasons why we are able to recognise virtual reality as being different to reality. Another reason is that virtual reality does not cause you to feel pain. Whether Virtual Reality is comparable to the neural-simulated environment in The Matrix, VR is the closest thing we have to relate to the theory. However, VR could be as real as reality if it had realistic models of physics (e.g. feather and coin fall at the same rate in a vacuum), better graphics, and the ability to stimulate the body into experiencing physical feelings of pain, heat and cold, etc. Another problem with doing this is having a computer powerful enough to process all this information via calculations. IBM have developed a supercomputer that can calculate the force of nuclear explosions. Does a computer exist powerful enough to simulate the reality we live in exactly? If it does, then the theory proposed by the film could be right. Another concern brought up by the film was about A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). In the film, A.I. developments created intelligent, living computers. Machines are physically better than man in many ways. They do not excrete, need tea breaks at work, sleep, be lazy, require wages, things that humans do. They are more efficient than humans. However, Humans have consciences, imaginations, and the ability to think. Computers do not have this. If computers did have this, they may be worth more than human life. Once recognising their status and power, it is possible that they may consider the human race to be inefficient, and may then start to eliminate humanity, like in The Matrix and The Terminator. This is something we have to be wary about when we decide to improve A.I., whether it be in industrial machines, home appliances, or computer games. If AI started to have a mind of its own, would anyone be willing to corrupt it, and turn it against others? It could be something terrorists would do to disrupt the activities of Governments around the globe? It may not be possible for machines to be a living, independent-thinking species. Computers work by calculations. Let us take an example. Home appliance in the future; greets person as they get in the door. A sensor will detect that the door is opening. It activates another smart sensor to identify that person. It is the house-owner. It greets with ‘hello'. The house-owner says ‘hello' back. The appliance uses a sensor to detect the reply, and assesses it not only for vocal identification, but to determine what mood the person is in. It will then choose a speech passage suited to the mood of the person. E.g. the person has a cold, so the computer tells the person that they are making a warm glass of Lemon and Honey for them, and ordering for a prescription of medicine to the doctor. Another sensor in the house will scan the person and send the details of the cold to the doctor, allowing the doctor to prescribe the right medication. The person will say ‘thanks', and the appliance will say ‘your welcome'. All this could happen just by entering the door and saying hello. The computer can display signs of compassion, but will not actually feel them. This will be a major mountain to conquer in the development of Artificial Intelligent Life. Commercially, Artificial Intelligence is still under development, and will take some time before it can resemble anything human. Overall, Technology will get better, and maybe we will discover if the simulated neural environment theory is right.

The Effects of the Leadership Style of the Principal on School Climate Dissertation

The Effects of the Leadership Style of the Principal on School Climate - Dissertation Example Another important area and aspect which needs to be discussed here are related to the skill and quality of leadership and the way through which this particular skill can be integrated and nurtured within children especially at the level of their high school education. This is because this skill of leadership needs to be developed within children from the very first day and moreover it is with the help of this skill which guarantees the progress and leverage of any educational institute of the world. ... Â  Out of these the first one is the realization of the fact that educational institutes are not places where individuals get their passing certificates from, but also they are training centers from which students receive an idea about the ways through which the world operates and the different type of surprises that the world outside the school premises awaits them. Moreover, the training that they receive in their high school prepares them to face any difficulty in their life with utmost ease and convenience. (Gross and Furey, 1987) But in order to successfully inculcate all these characteristics within the students, it is important to understand the very fundamentals of the process which can lead to this and out of all others the process of leadership and that of the principal is the most important. Students whether they are in high school, college or university are overwhelmingly influenced and inspired by the ways through which the principal of their institute handles the diffe rent type of organizational affairs that they encounter on an everyday basis. In other words, it is the leadership and its manifestation with which students develop that influence towards their principal. (Glickman, 1990) During the course of this discussion, we would be looking at the different leadership styles through the help of which the academic performance of students can be enhanced and can be made more effective in terms of implementation. It will be on the basis of the variables of leadership types demonstrated by principals and the subsequent effect that they have on the performance of the student.

Organizational Change in Umpqua Bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Change in Umpqua Bank - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that one of the biggest challenges the bank faced was the influence of the culture in the other acquired bank branches on the culture of Umpqua Bank. Adoption of other banks involved retaining the banks’ employees. These employees had got used to a different culture and it was, therefore, a major challenge to make them adjust to a new culture smoothly. To overcome this problem, the leadership injected Umpqua’s culture into the other bank branches by bringing their employees in busloads to Umpquas stores to offer them with orientation. This enabled a real firsthand introduction to a new business world and which in turn made the employees feel the desire to change and hence adapt faster. It was a challenge for Umpqua to run its operations in a harmonious manner especially considering the fact that its individual stores were different in terms of size, demographics, and layout. In addition, the branches were al so different in the sense that their loan and deposit potential varied considerably. This, therefore, demanded individual stores be handled differently. The bank created a cross-functional task force to look for the best means by which the challenge could be overcome. The task force provided a strategic financial proposal which later streamlined its operations. Competition from other large banks posed a serious challenge to Umpquas desire to succeed. Banks such as Washington Mutual and Bank of America sent the leadership of Umpqua bank to the drawing board to come up with new strategies that would aid in retaining its culture now that their competitors had started copying their already-in-use strategies. In 2002, for example, Washington Mutual had its first ‘occassio’ branch opened whereas the Bank of America started holding experiments to ascertain the effectiveness of the branch design. To counter this, the leadership at Umpqua decided to invest in the best customer s ervice delivery as compared to their competitors. Umpqua's customer service, especially its in-store customer service which was unique, was its competitive edge and so it had to be perfect.

Legal Memo with Blue Book formatted Citations Research Paper

Legal Memo with Blue Book formatted Citations - Research Paper Example However, their cars were towed from the scene of the accident, and junked afterwards. These events bring up the issue of destruction of evidence; for that, Mary would like to file legal claims against the insurance company of her car, for trashing the car before she could be able to file charges and sue the car manufacturer for faulty brakes. Destruction of evidence; spoliation as it is known, has different statutes that govern it in different states of the United States of America. As a result, of this, it is extremely vital that the client knows what she is dealing with before taking the first step towards legal justice. Rules The state of Michigan has several rules the govern situations of destruction of evidence. The Tort of Spoliation is one of the rules applicable in this scenario. Under this law, the state of Michigan does not recognize destruction of evidence as a separate tort. Panich v. Iron Wood Prods. Corp., 445 N.W.2d 795 Mich. Ct. App. (1989). Michigan considers destruc tion of evidence – if the correct facts are available - as an actionable tort claim. Wilson v. Sinai Grace Hosp., 2004 WL 915044 Mich. App. LEXIS (2004). Another rule applicable in spoliation of evidence case is presumption or adverse inference. In Michigan, destruction of evidence is governed by a jury instruction, M. Civ. J.I.2d 6.01(d). This provides that a person trying the case facts may infer the evidence that has not been offered in this case might be injurious to the offending party if (1) such evidence is/was under the control of the offending party; (2) the offending party could have produced such evidence; or (3) there is no reasonable grounds to support failure for disclosure of such evidence. A permissible inference is allowed when these three features are shown. The inference is such that the evidence would have been injurious to the offending party. The person trying the case facts, however, is free to determine this issue for itself. Lagalo v. Allied Corp., 59 2 N.W.2d 786, 789 Mich. Ct. App. LEXIS (1999). In cases where evidence of willful destruction exists, it is presumed that the evidence that was not produced may have been injurious to the offending party. When it has been left un-rebutted, a conclusion that such evidence may have been injurious to the offending party is required for this presumption. Trupiano v. Cully, 84 N.W.2d 747, 748 Mich. (1957). In general, failure of a party to produce evidence or deliberate destruction of evidence by a party is presumed by courts that such evidence may have worked against the party responsible for its destruction or its non-production. Johnson v. Secretary of State, 406 Mich. 420, 440, 280 N.W.2d 9 Mich. (1979); Berryman v. K Mart Corp., 193 Mich. App. LEXIS 88, 101, 483 N.W.2d 642 Mich. (1992); Ritter v. Meijer, Inc., 128 Mich. App. LEXIS 783, 786, 341 N.W.2d 220 Mich. (1983). Therefore, in Michigan, such a presumption can only arise when the complaining party is able to establish that ther e was intentional, fraudulent conduct, and a desire for destruction of evidence with the aim of suppressing the truth. Trupiano v. Cully, 349 Mich. 568, 570, 84 N.W.2d 747 Mich. (1957), quoting 20 Am. Jur., Evidence, Â § 185, p. 191; see also Lagalo v. Allied Corp., 233 Mich. App. 514, 520, 592 N.W.2d 786 Mich. (1999). Analysis In this case, it is factual that Mary Jane Plaine was driving at a considerable acceptable speed when she was involved in an accident. It is also a fact that the

ANALYSE OFCANDIDEGULLIVERS TRAVEL AND SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER FROM Essay

ANALYSE OFCANDIDEGULLIVERS TRAVEL AND SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER FROM NEOCLASSIC AND ROMANTIC POINT OF VIEW - Essay Example There was an emphasis on classical conventions and style. The restoration of the monarchy to Charles II of England in 1660 marks the beginning of the Neoclassical period in English literature, with its emphasis on restraint, logic and rationalism. It lasted from 1660 to 1798, when the Romantic Movement with its emphasis on imagination and nature began . Written in the latter part of the eighteenth century, â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† by Jonathan Swift and â€Å"Candide† by Voltaire are examples of Neoclassicism in English and French literature respectively, exhibiting elements of Neoclassicism such as reason , restraint and clarity While â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† portrays Neoclassical elements of clarity, superiority of reason and experimentation,, at the same time digressing from Neoclassicism by giving vent to imagination., .†Candide† exhibits the typical Neoclassical reaction against optimism and exuberance .In his iconoclastic ideas about God and the Church, Voltaire strays from Neoclassical Theory. â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther â€Å"written by Goethe exhibits elements of Romanticism like love of nature, imagination and emotion, as well as some elements of Neoclassicism like form and structure and â€Å"correctness†.. â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† by Jonathan Swift is an enduring classic beloved by both young and old. Although when he wrote the book in 1789, Swift meant it to be a satire on the existing society of the time, the book became instantly popular as a children’s book, which it has continued to be to the present times. Like â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels†, Voltaire’s Candide was also written during the same period. Both the books describe the fantastic adventures of the protagonists who travel to different parts of the world and encounter unforeseen problems. On the other hand, â€Å"The Sorrows of Young Werther† by Goethe, written in the same period of late eighteenth

The 1944 Education Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The 1944 Education Act - Essay Example Education was seen as a means of enlightening the people and solving problems associated with industrialization which was taking place in Europe. Before then, individuals were engaged in artisan trades where they possessed particular skills and controlled their working schedules but industrialization brought about the need for educated people to handle various tasks in industries (Bates et al. 2011). Many education Acts were legislated to change the nature of education but the education Act of 1944 formed the basis for the present education system in Britain. The Education Act of 1944 was very crucial as it replaced all previous education legislations and set the framework for post-war education system in England and Wales aimed at promoting equality of opportunity for all pupils. It established the Ministry of Education and made education free and compulsory for pupils up to age 15. The Act also aimed at helping Britain to reconstruct its education system after it was disrupted by W orld War II. According to Lowe (2012) the war destroyed school buildings through bombing and millions of children were evacuated. Furthermore, there was need for an education system that would solve social and economic problems through state control. The paper will thus discuss the Education Act and its impact on education and the society after the Second World War. To understand the education policy, it is important to look at the education background in Britain before the war. During the pre-war period, education in Britain was dominated by independent and church schools belonging to the Roman Catholic and the Church of England. Britain being a liberal state did not interfere with education but left it in the hands of local boards and authorities which were democratic in nature (McNaughton & Burgess, 2003). The schools provided elementary education from age 5-14. Secondary education was restricted to a minority children hence formal education was usually over by the age of 12 lead ing to child labour. Since pupils paid school fees in independent schools, education divided people along social class; the wealthy people could afford to enter grammar schools and get employment thereafter while the working-class only managed to get basic skills from elementary education (Gates, 2005). Teachers were recruited for training based on their religious affiliation and the Catholic schools only admitted students from catholic families who were taught catholic faith. Another aspect of early education was the provision of meals and school milk for nutrition purposes. During the war, most children were evacuated from bomb prone areas and resettled in bomb free zones away from their parents. As a result, there was a mixture of races and differences which resulted in racial prejudice. There was a decline in cultural values and morality as parents could not monitor their children’s progress since the schools of choice where religious values were taught were far away (Low e, 2012). The buildings were in a deplorable state due to bombing hence education was offered at home in selected premises. Due to the prevailing circumstances and the need to impart patriotism in citizens, there was need for an education system that would serve this purpose. Education was seen as a tool of transmitting cultural values and morality and also as a tool of social and economic policy since the society was becoming more complex requiring wide range of knowledge and skills. Bartlett and Burton (2007) argue that education was also to be used as a vehicle for equality of opportunity especially by ensuring implementation of the Beveridge report of 1942 which advocated for formation of a welfare state. To ensure everyone

Discussion about influences has television had in our society Essay

Discussion about influences has television had in our society - Essay Example Television has both good influences and bad influences on society. The following essay will talk about these in detail. There is no doubt that Television has many good influences. Firstly, Television is an audio/visual medium making it easy for the audience to follow programs. It uses graphics, sound recording and film technology to bring lively and interesting material to the enjoyment of the audience. Many people when they come back from office or school switch on the Television and relax themselves. More importantly, it also provides news bulletins and science programs for gaining knowledge. For school-going children it offers sport programming like live baseball telecast, etc. All this are very useful and perform an important social role. In fact, Television has become such an important part of everyday life that we cannot imagine how life will be without Television. (Bignell, 2004) Television has been used for the purpose of education as well. For example, class-rooms can show s tudents interesting movies that are part of the curriculum. Class-room can also show recorded lectures and science documentaries. With respect to society, Television brings awareness about global issues so that all of us can act together. One example of this is global warming, about which information is provided in Television. With this we can act together and save the planet. Television also has plenty of advertisements. While some ads can be boring, some others provide information about products, which we can use when we go shopping. (Noll, 2011) Television not only performs a social role but also a family role. It brings all members of family together during evenings. In fact, it has become part of family routine at dinner time. Television gives news about weather conditions. We can take precautions against rain and storm by watching weather news. Also, Television is used these days in closed-circuit cameras for security reasons. On the negative side too, there are many points. F irst, watching Television for long time is bad for the eyes. Television can distract students from focussing on studies. It can make young children lazy and keep them away from books and sports. Parents are especially worried that Television has bad effect on society as it shows violence and crime. Young people can get the wrong idea about life watching such programs. For example, a young person watching use of guns on Television might later kill someone with a gun in real life. So it is very dangerous in cases like this. It also gives wrong idea about how to treat women, etc. In other words, Television can show women in stereotype fashion. Hence, not everything about Television is good. (Freedman, 2002) Television can cause problems in society by showing racial discrimination, etc. For example, if black people are not shown in programs, one gets the impression that they are not important people. Television news can also be flawed. For example, we cannot believe everything the news anchor says as truth. Sometimes they give inaccurate information to deceive the viewer. So one has to be careful about the truthfulness of news. Also, the information given in advertisements can be misleading. Many companies are just trying to make quick money and will show any false claims to sell products. So we have to be careful while watching Television. (Bignell, 2004) Finally, Television has many limitations which make it not useful for in-depth analysis. That is, Television can never replace the

How Social Responsibility of Corporations Relates to Business Ethics Assignment

How Social Responsibility of Corporations Relates to Business Ethics - Assignment Example The Government must play its role in harnessing the skills attached to the corporate sector in finding out the better means in which it can benefit the society. For that certain loans and grants can also be fixed for a certain company depending on its market level in the business world. Extensive research has found that corporate responsibility is becoming an essential part of any company’s day-to-day undertakings. Thus, the responsibility played by the Government as well as the citizens in this regard should be quite eloquent and expressive. Their voice is given due value by the company and it does just about everything to get more and more customers and consumers which in turn excites it to search for better means to get the very same people. This, in turn, attracts the company to sponsor big events and sports galas, competitions as well as come towards social welfare works, which really benefits the society in more than one ways. Mr Higgins, who completed a research on the local community, was not that enthusiastic about the role played by these companies in the social sector. People, according to him, were of the view that these companies filled in social responsibilities to a certain limit and not beyond that extent where other large organizations jumped in and took the lead. For the small business owner, CSR means a different thing altogether. He sees it in a different attitude encompassing his own business and its responsibilities fulfilled for the betterment of the society or let alone none at all. Corporate Social Responsibility helps as a survival agent for any business in the new atmosphere of an economy. By that, it means whenever the economic climate changes, it favours the CSR that has been initiated by a business with respect to its role in the fulfilment of the social responsibilities. This can be regarded as an advantage of CSR whereby the business gets a slight edge as opposed to the other ones in the corporate world who haven’t actually started with the idea of investing with consideration to the society in the forms of different sponsors, helping of non-Governmental organizations and the like.  

Geriatrics and Long-term Care Essay Example for Free

Geriatrics and Long-term Care Essay Though her sons and daughters check in on her all of the time, they are not there 24 hours a day. She does not want to have something happen and no one find out until several hours or days go by. She is very active in the community and church and I expect that she will remain so, even after moving into the assisted living facilities. This report seeks to uncover long-term care/housing programs and services provided to older adults. I will focus on the mission and services provided. From this report, I expect to gain an understanding of long-term care options and the differences amongst them, so it will be useful for my aging parents. Introduction There are 1,065,502 people (15. 1%), aged 60 and above, in Virginia (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000). There are 216,588 households with those aged 65 and over living alone with 565,204 households that contain individuals aged 65 and above (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000). The second number, 565,204 does not state that the household contains only 65 and over individual or could be an older person living with their son or daughters family. If taken into the later context that leaves 283,728 elderly that lives other than their own home or with another family member. This results in a huge demand for housing of the elderly on this country. With the onset of the baby boomers coming of old age, it is necessary that the government looks at ways to handle the increased need for housing of the elderly. Determining long-term care options Not everyone will need a long-term care option when they age. In fact currently most of the elderly remain in their residence. The questions elderly must ask themselves if considering long-term care are many. Elderly may consider long term care if they have a physical or mental disability, chronic illness, terminal illness or if they are not able to care for themselves. Everyone will need to make their own decision when it comes time, but having the information about what services and programs are available will make the decision much easier. Long-Term Care Options There are seven types of licensed care services and facilities; Home Care Services, Community Based Care Services, Adult Day Care Centers, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes and Senior Housing. Which one to choose depends on factors that include, cost, insurance, health needs, medical condition of the person and value for services provided? Home care services Home care services are broken down into skilled care and home support. Skilled care is provided under direction of a physician and administered by registered nurses, physical, speech and occupational therapists. Home support provides shopping, meal preparation and light housekeeping, to include bathing and dressing. Other home support services provided include counseling and social work services. Home care services allow older and disabled persons to remain in a familiar environment while maintaining their independence and security. Home care is designed for elderly and disabled people that do not need nursing home care, but needs assistance with day-to-day health and personal needs. The cost of home care is often less expensive than hospital and nursing home care. Home care service can: †¢ Preserve independence and security; †¢ Allow recipient to remain home; †¢ Relieve stress for recipient and family members or caregivers; and †¢ Prevent unnecessary hospital or nursing home bills. Community-Based Care Services If you have the ability to transport yourself to social activities, health appointments or go out for meals, community-based care services are probably not needed. However, for the elderly who cannot get out on their own, or have family that can provide transportation, community-based care services can help. Community-based organizations are broadly made up of an all volunteer staff. Services offered differ amongst organizations. Adult Day Care Centers Provides social interaction and meals in a protected environment, thus allowing those take care of the elderly person time-away. Social interaction includes activities such as physical exercise, games, trips, art and music. Some adult care programs offer medical services, such as help taking medications or checking blood pressure. In the United States of America 1,141 of 3,141 counties lack enough space for adult day care (Shellenbarger, 2002). Transportation to and from adult daycare is sometimes offered by the adult day care center. Currently cost of adult day care averages about $60 a day. Though it sounds expensive it is cheap compared to home-care, assisted living and nursing home care. Adult day care is covered through Medicaid and those insurance companies that offer long-term care policies. Continuing Care Retirement Communities Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) offer independent living in a cottage setting to skilled nursing care and in between. The services can be all-inclusive, modified to meet the residents needs or in a fee-for-service. CCRCs promote wellness, independence and socialization in a residential environment. The idea behind a CCRC is that elderly can stay in one place rather than moving from one long-term care option to the next. Example, your parents move into senior housing, then assisted living area, then for further care move into a nursing home, all of which are located in the same complex. Vice paying monthly for rent and services provided, elderly pay a fee or endowment to be part of the CCRC. Assisted Living Facilities Assisted living facilities are broken down into independent, residential or assisted living facilities. Independent and residential living facilities provide minimal assistance for those elderly with minor limitations. Assisted living provides more assistance for those elderly that need help due to major limitations. Services offered include oversight, health care services and help with daily living activities. Assisted living facilities are one of the fastest growing long-term care options available today. In 2000, there were only about 1,000,000, aged 65 and above living in assisted living or residential care (Munn, Hanson, Zimmerman, Sloane, Mitchell, 2006). Since then assisted living facilities have blossomed to over 36,000 licensed facilities providing for more than 9,000,000 residents (Hernandez, 2005-2006). The boom is due to affordability and the homelike living arrangements offered. Nursing Homes When family can no longer take of their elderly member that is injured or disabled, home cares is the preferred option, but if there are no availabilities, then nursing homes are appropriate. In 2000, 1,557,800, aged 65 and above lived in nursing homes (Munn, Hanson, Zimmerman, Sloane, Mitchell, 2006). Most elderly that utilize nursing homes are recovering from illness or injury. Nursing homes also provide hospice care for those terminal elderly; provide rehabilitation; or maintain care for those elderly with chronic health care needs. Nursing homes provide around the clock care for those recovering from illness and injury. The homes are for those elderly that need more medical attention than social gathering. Nursing homes also provide personal care in the form of bathing, dressing and going to the bathroom for the elderly. Senior Housing This is for those elderly that do not need long-term care, but live in a home that is not considered safe. Senior housing often is apartments that have been adapted for the elderly and include railing in bathrooms, wider hallways and raised outlets. Optional services provided include meals, housekeeping and social activities. Choosing the right long-term care option With the long-term care options, mentioned above, selecting which program or service is right can be overwhelming. Think about what it is that you mother, father, or both want in their older years. Ask the elderly what it is that they want? What are their needs? Do they need help with chores? Do they prefer small facilities, certain location, special living conditions? What is their financial situation? Will you be paying for long-term care or is insurance providing coverage? Is Medicare or Medicaid involved? Research available long-term care facilities near your residence first. Ask questions about what services/programs that are/are not provided, if they are insured, costs and vacancies. Check on fee’s for special care services or if extra fees are charged for services. Think about waiting list, if you find the one you want, but are not needed immediately or near term. Visit and tour the facility with your loved ones. Is it friendly, does it look clean, are people happy, what activities do the have for residents. How many staff is available, come back during different times of the day on different days. What the rooms are like are any options available? What are the residents allowed/not allowed doing? Is there a schedule for anything, eating, naps, bedtime, and social visits? How often are your loved ones checked on? Does the staff conduct regular care training? Ask other residents what their opinion of the long-term care facility? Check with the Better Business Bureau to check for any complaints filed. Conclusion In conclusion, though there are many choices for long-term care, it will come down to the individual, the elderly, the elderly family or a combination to determine which type of care will best fit there needs. There is no one fits all long-term care facility, such as there is no specific type of elderly person. Everyone age’s differently and each will have their own very specific needs when it comes time to make a decision on long-term care. Some will choose to remain in their home while others may choose a community setting. However, one thing is known and that is the elderly population is increasing in the United States. This will lead to a higher demand for long-term care services in the future. In the past families tended to take care of their own and their parents, whereas now the elderly will have to start looking at looking at for themselves, though some will be taken care of by their children. In the end, follow your instincts. Choose a place that treats your parents with respect and makes them feel comfortable. References Bolda, E. J. (2006). Community Partnerships for Older Adults: Meeting the Housing Challenge. Generations, 29(4), 61-63.

Trends of Transnational Companies

Trends of Transnational Companies In our todays world transnational companies (TNCs) play a crucial role in global economy as they are one of the biggest economic institutions. In this essay, I will give an explanation of what transnational company actually is, describe the main trends of TNCs activity and express my own opinion about transnational companies future and compare it with the view of other views. To begin with, let me define the term of transnational company. It is important to give a correct definition of word, because there are different categories of companies, doing business in another country, such as multinational and international companies. So, TNC is a commercial enterprise with a very complex organization, that operates huge facilities, has a business more than in one country and whose external assets cover from 25 to 30 or even more percent of all volume of a company. There are more ways to explain the meaning of this term, but we will stop on this one. The history of transnational companies begins in 1118, when the Order of Knights Templars was founded. It was not actually TNC, but some kind of financial centre. In the year of 1135 they started to develop banking industry all over other countries. Officially, East India company is regarded as the very first transnational company, which was established in 1600. Now lets move on to identifying the main trends and role of transnational companies in our contemporary world. They act as a driving force of key processes of modern global economy. TNCs determine structure, dynamics, level of marketability of goods and services, controlling international capital flows and direct foreign investments. Because of its productive and financial possibilities, transnational companies maintain hold of high-tech industries, advancing technological growth of this sphere. They are becoming a significant force in a world economy, as their wide range of functions, starting from industrial processes and ending up to operations in investment, financial and trade policy, allows them to play a role of international regulator of production and distributor of goods and services. The biggest TNCs have even established supremacy over world trade market and in leading fields of economy. Moreover, transnational companies transform world economy into an international manuf acturing, providing boost of technological advance in all directions quality of goods, efficiency of production, improvement of forms of management and directing enterprises. Number of TNCs is rapidly growing: in 1970 there were about 7300 TNCs, whole turn-round was $626 million a year. At the beginning of 1990s, their amount grew to 37000 with turn-round of $7 billion a year. Finally, in 2012 there are 82000 transnational companies with $30 trillion turn-round.[1] Such a growth can be explained by bunch of reasons. For example, competition between companies, forcing to decrease charges and at the same time increasing scales of producing and introducing new technologies, searching for a cheap labour power and new markets. Importance of TNCs in international meaning is increasing. Core of global economic system consists of about 100 transnational companies, which are controlling almost unlimited economic power and capturing two-thirds of international capital flows. Practically all the biggest TNCs, if they will be divided by national implement apply for so called ternary three economic centers of our planet USA, EU and Japan. But for a last few years there is a tendency of less developed countries to develop their own transnational companies all over the world. Sectorial division of TNCs is very diverse: 60% of companies specialise in manufacturing sphere, 37% in tertiary sector and only 3% in extractive industry and agriculture. Also, there are 77 million employed people involved in TNCs sphere worldwide. Â   In my opinion, transnational companies encourage growth of industry, change structure of national economy and improve position of states in international division of labour and global economic relations. There is misbelief, that as a result of international operations of TNCs, one country will gain a profit and other will lose. In real life it is possible, but there is a huge chance that both countries will be the winners of situation. One more advantage of transnational companies is that they speed-up research and development sphere, that is why TNCs have an immense financial resources. Moreover, they mainly control export of manufactured goods, which is usually concentrated by a few large TNCs. Such an export scheme is typical of household and electronic industry, pharmaceutic and chemical goods. However, there are a lot of opponents of transnational companies rule: anti-globalists, alter-globalists and ecologic organizations. Anti-globalists, despite of their unfriendliness to globalization, assume that TNCs monopolize national market and destroy state sovereignty. They label actions of transnational companies to occupy local markets as economic war against citizens. In many countries, such as Russia, China and Canada there is a law, restricting actions of TNCs. Alter-globalists are actually not against economic globalization and transnational companies as well, but until they reach a power, which can be compared with power of states. Finally, last but not the least, economic organizations. I can provide you with example: Greenpeace. TNCs have so huge productive assets, that they can endanger local ecologic situation. That is why a lot of producing units are being transported to Third World countries. Drawing up a conclusion, transnational companies showed their ability to break isolation of national economies, involving them into single process with world economic society. They serve as a source of transferring new technologies, spreading information about new products and as a result, change of social preferences occurs. References: https://www.globalpolicy.org/empire/47068-a-brief-history-of-transnational-corporations.html A Brief History of Transnational corporations http://moluch.ru/archive/56/7687/ http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/07/focus-1 [1] http://moluch.ru/archive/56/7687/

The Epic Poem, Beowulf - Is Beowulf History or Myth? :: Epic of Beowulf Essay

Is Beowulf History or Myth?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Many of the characters and episodes and material artifacts mentioned poetically in Beowulf are likewise presented to us from archaeological sources and from various written sources, especially Scandinavian records, thus adding credibility to the historicity of the poem. But it is obvious that Beowulf, Grendel and the Dragon clearly belong to the classification of â€Å"myth.†    In his essay â€Å"The Digressions in Beowulf† David Wright says:    Another effect of what are called the ‘historical elements’ in Beowulf – the subsidiary stories of the Danes and the Geats – is to give the poem greater depth and verisimilitude. Hrothgar, the Danish king, is a ‘historical character, and the site of his palace of Heorot has been identified with the village of Leire on the island of Seeland in Denmark. The Geat king Hygelac really existed, and his unlucky expedition against the Franks, referred to several times in the poem, is mentioned by Gregory of Tours in the Historia Francorum and has been given the approximate date of AD521 (127).    Does the above not establish in our minds an historically sound footing for the poem? â€Å"I suggested in an earlier paper that the Beowulf poet’s incentive for composing an epic about sixth-century Scyldings may have had something to do with the fact that, by the 890’s at least, Heremod, Scyld, Healfdene, and the rest, were taken to be the common ancestors both of the Anglo-Saxon royal family and of the ninth-century Danish immigrants, the Scaldingi† (Frank 60). Is not universal acceptance as truth in fact not a proof that the geneologies of the work are factual? With the exception of the hero, this literary scholar seems to agree: â€Å"He [Beowulf] appears unknown outside the poem, while virtually every other character is found in early legends† (Chickering 252). Consider the following royal burial of the Danish king, and how unrealistic it appears:    Scyld then departed  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   at the appointed time, still very strong,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   into the keeping of the Lord†¦. They laid down the king  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   they had dearly loved, their tall ring-giver,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   in the center of the ship, the mighty by the mast.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Great treasure was there, bright gold and silver,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   gems from far lands (26-37)    But we know from archaeological evidence that the royal and aristocratic milieu of Beowulf with its lavish burials and gold-adorned armor â€Å"can no longer be dismissed as poetic exaggeration or folk memories of an age of gold before the Anglo-Saxons came to England (Cramp 114).

Chaucers The Wife of Bath :: Chaucer Wife Bath Essays

Chaucer's The Wife of Bath Chaucer’s character, the Wife of Bath, grabs the reader’s attention immediately as she sets the stage for giving an account of her beliefs on love and life: â€Å"Housbondes at chirche dore I have had five.† Because of her blunt honesty at the very beginning of her Prologue, the reader senses that the Wife of Bath feels no shame and carries no regrets about her many marriages. This is confirmed when the Wife proclaims, â€Å"Of whiche I have piked out the beste.† She displays two attitudes throughout the piece: living life to the fullest and loving to gossip about her past. We see this first attitude as the Wife looks back on her life and says, â€Å"But Lord Crist, whan that it remembreth me / Upon my youthe and on my jolitee, / It tikleth me aboute myn herte roote – / Unto this day it dooth myn herte boote / That I have had my world as in my time.† The Wife expresses joy over the life she has lived and seems completely satisfied with all that took place. Much of the history she entrusts to her fellow pilgrims details her sexual drive. Her sexual appetite represents her great desire for vivid living. The Wife is not bitter about any of her marriages. Even when the husbands seemed bothered by the fact that she acted like the man in the relationships in that she was demanding, controlling and sexually dominant, she did not mind. She actually reveled in the fact that she had complete control in four of her five marriages. This sexual appetite parallels her attitude of enjoyment and pleasure in life. Instead of feeling shameful about her overactive sex drive, she simply said, â€Å"God bade us for to wexe and mulitplye.† She does not feel disgraced by her actions; instead, she sees herself as simply following God’s orders. Additionally, she feels that her sexual appetite is sanctioned by God because, â€Å"He saide th at to be wedded is no sinne: / Bet is to be wedded than to brinne.† Because she is married, she is allowed to pursue her desires to their full force and feel no shame because she is not burning with a forbidden passion for a man that is not her husband. The second attitude expressed is that of a love for gossiping about herself.

The Digital World Essay -- Technology Machines Internet Papers

The Digital World The digital world of today can be understood as a product of late-Victorian construction of the machinery of information organization combined with Modernist visual forms. In his doctoral dissertation, The Engineering of Vision from Constructivism to Computers, Lev Manovich, professor of New Media at the University of San Diego, states it is the influence of Modernist visual forms, mainly Soviet era Constructivism, that shapes the look of the current digital world (e.g. the Internet). Professor Simon Cook of Duke University, in his recent paper, Late Victorian Visual Reasoning and a Modern History of Vision, argues that Manovich overlooks the importance of the Victorian period in influencing the aesthetics of our present digital design. Cook bases his argument on the concept of an orderly and well-catalogued Internet, as if the system had been developed in nineteenth century Britain. However, due to the chaotic, disorganized and ever-changing look of the digital world, the argument of a Victorian based system is flawed. The late nineteenth century does not have the impact Cook believes it does, whereas Manovich remains on track in his original argumen t. Still, Manovich’s ideas can only be regarded on a temporary basis, because the face of the digital world has changed drastically since its development, and will continue to in the near future. Before exploring the look of the current digital world, it is first important to look at its physical development. I will concentrate mainly on the Internet and the more recent phenomena of the World Wide Web, although software look also has a significant role. This concentration follows from my prediction of the future look of computers, which will be more web-bas... ...ent. Current world politics and economics may play just as a significant role for the future digital world as Soviet Constructivism does for the current one. Bibliography Cook, Simon, online papers: http://www.duke.edu/~sjc68 Cook, Simon, Late Victorian Visual Reasoning and a Modern History of Vision Linton, Berry; Vinton, Carl, et al. A Brief History of the Internet, http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml Manovich, Lev, online archive: http://www.manovich.net. Manovich, Lev, The Engineering of Vision from Constructivism to Computers, online Ph.D. Dissertation, 1993. Manovich, Lev, Database as a Symbolic Form Manovich, Lev, Navigable Space Manovich, Lev, Avant-Garde as Software Richards, Thomas. The Imperial Archive Smith, David, Constructivism and Suprematism, http://users.senet.com.au/~dsmith/constructivism.htm

Drovers Wife

Comparing the female characters in the short stories The Drover's Wife by Henry Lawson and The Chosen Vessel by Barbara Baynton. †¢Brief biography of Henry Lawson and Barbara Baynton. †¢The Drover's wife was published in the Bulletin in 1892 and The Chosen Vessel in 1896. †¢From the 1900s to the onset of WW1, pioneers made their homes in the dangerous outback of Australia. †¢Pioneering women are left alone to encounter the scourge of nature ( examples). The women became principal caregivers to sick travelers. †¢Most of these women rose to the challenge and endured the incredible hardship of life in the outback. Brief summary of both stories. The Drovers Wife revolves around the hardship and bravery of a bush woman who lives with her 4 children and snake dog. The Chosen Vessel is about a bush woman who is left alone and one day, she encounters a swagman who rapes and murders her. †¢The themes for both stories are similar – loneliness of being in th e bush and battling an enemy to save their children and themselves. †¢The drover's wife fights through many battles during her husband's absence. She suffered several hardships. †¢The woman in â€Å"The Chosen Vessel† is also left alone to care for her young child when faced with dangers. In â€Å"The Drover's Wife† the enemy is the five-foot long poisonous snake. The snake that the woman battles against is a representative of her enemy which is the bush. Throughout her whole life, she has been battling against nature. †¢The enemy in â€Å"The Chosen Vessel† is the swagman. The woman is fighting against man, her husband and the swagman. †¢The ways in which both the women approach the dangers they are faced with are different. †¢The drover's wife attacks and faces her problems whereas the woman in † The Chosen Vessel† hides from hers. †¢The lies in which each women tells the swagmen they come across emonstrates their diff erent characters. †¢Both the women have different respects and expectations from their husband. †¢The drover's wife respects his husband and knows that he if he had the means, he would treat her like a princess. †¢The husband of the woman in â€Å"The Chosen Vessel† is cruel to his wife. Despite being ill-treated, she still counts the days till his homecoming even though he had not been gone for long. †¢The emotions of the women vary in each story. †¢Beneath her tough exterior, the drover's wife is a sensitive and emotional. woman. †¢The only emotion shown by the woman in Barbara Baynton's story is fear. The drover's wife may be more physically isolated, but she had been given help from various people. The other woman however, is left completely alone to care for her young child. †¢Although both stories revolved around the same theme, time and setting, the presentation of the setting through their characters gave a different representation t o the readers. †¢Henry Lawson's writing was more favorable compared to Barbara Baynton's gothic style. His story succeeded in giving tribute and admiration to the hardship and struggles of the Australian bush people.

Prejudice and Discrimination Essay

What is social psychology? Social psychology is defined as the scientific study of how a person’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of other human beings. As we look back over the past few years, we see that some form of prejudice and discrimination still exist today in society. I want to elaborate on and define the types of prejudices and how people discriminate, how they are learned, and how to overcome prejudice. Prejudice is defined as a preconceived judgment or opinion that is usually based on limited information about a group or groups of people. Some people would commonly agree that prejudice is stereotyping. Discrimination is prejudicial attitudes that cause members of a particular social group to be treated differently than others in situations that call for equal treatment. There are many kinds of prejudices or attitudes, but discrimination is a result of prejudice. Several ways in which people are discriminated upon include age, race, and sex. People are often prejudice toward those form different ethnic groups, those form different religions, those from different economic levels, those who are overweight, and those who are too thin. Prejudice vary in two different types of groups called the in-groups and the out-groups or the â€Å"us† versus â€Å"them†. These groups are formed early in childhood. The in-groups are considered to be the particular person for whom they are identified with and the out-group is to be considered everyone else. Soon after the in-groups are established, the prejudice and discriminatory treatment of the out-group or groups soon follow. Then the out-groups are stereotyped based on the color of their skin or color of their hair and can be difficult. There are many laws that are in place to minimize or control the discriminatory behavior, but there is no law against having a certain attitude. The realistic conflict theory in prejudice is the increase of prejudice and discrimination by a degree of conflict between in-groups and the out-groups over limited resource, such as land or a job. A current example not related to land but religion would be, according to, â€Å"Neal Broverman, of The Advocate, Virginia’s lower house passed that would allow student groups at public universities to deny members because they conflict with the groups’ religious beliefs. This bill would prohibit discriminating against a student organization or group on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical or other content of the organization or group’s speech. † The bill also allows religious or political student organizations to determine who will not be allowed in their membership â€Å"in furtherance of the organization’s religious or political mission. â€Å"

The Twenty-First Century

Never before in history have there been more health problem in the world than in the twenty-first century. There seems to be an incrementing amount of people that will be diagnosed with some type of disease or sickness. The main culprit that causes so many people to be in that state is diet. This not only affects adults but children as well, significantly on school property. A child that is well nourished can perform well in school and adapt to making healthier decisions in regards to the consumption of foods. Thus, banning junk food in schools is an effective solution to students performance in school. In the schools setting children are no longer advised by their parents on what to eat and are forced to choose from the options that the school offers. The child's health then depends upon the nutritional value of the choices that are available. Junk food in schools often includes pizza, hamburgers, fried foods such as french fries and chips, canned food, and large quantities of processed foods. Some of these foods can come from vending machines as well. There can be healthier options such as vegetables, salad, and fruits, however, children tend to choose less healthy options. On the occasion that schools ban junk food, children will have no other option but to choose healthier food choices. This will result in an increase of children eating healthier and enhancing their performance to do well in school. In some instances, children can be rebellious and not want to consume the healthy alternatives due to unfavorable preferences. This can cause ineffective performs in the classroom and their overall behavior hindering their ability to do well academically. However, schools can solve this by advising and consulting with the children before making any changes. In this process school administrators motivate children to make healthier food choices using incentives, pledges, and competitions which is exactly what a field study conducted by Sekar Raju, Priyalin Rajagopal, and Timothy J. Gilbride. The study concluded that â€Å"all three interventions increased the choice of fruits and vegetables ten weeks after the intervention ended.† This demonstrates that it is possible for children to adapt to healthier food choices that they can apply when choosing foods from the cafeteria. Children can even make a habit early on in their lives to eat healthier. Some people might say that the problem of children's poor health is caused by how they were taught how to make decisions at home and not on school grounds, thus it is not the school's responsibility to attend to every child dietary needs. However, if the school's administration had already taken the initiative to respond by the students best academic interests they should take into consideration that proper nutrition can enhance their performance. According to the article â€Å"The Relationship between Nutrition and Children's Educational Performance: A Focus on the United Arab Emirates† by Galal, Osman, and Judie Hulett, students who are not well nourished have lower attendance, shorter attention span, lower performance scores, and more health-related problems. In addition to this, junk food is harmful and can inhibit students performance in school. There was a cross-section survey done by British secondary school children and the results stated that the daily consumption of junk food was associated with poorer mental and physical health. Thus, if schools provide healthier options students can perform better in school and articulate in a normal manner. A concern that schools and parents have is that banning junk food and increasing healthier alternatives will result in additional money needed to buy the materials and food. This was the case for Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District in suburban St. Louis that with the initiative of superintendent Lina Henke, candy, chips, and all but one vending machine were removed. She also had all processed food replaced by whole foods by means of local resources. Linda Henke stated that â€Å"To get kids to focus on school, and come to class with energy and enthusiasm, this is essential.† Although most districts struggle with the budget, once changes have been made to the foods served in the cafeteria the school will benefit from the children's academic and social performance. For this reason, additional schools are making changes and seeing promising results from banning junk food. Banning junk food in school can benefit both the school and the children. Although the school will have to make accommodations due to financial requirements the outcomes will result in an overall better performance by the students. Student will learn earlier on in their live how to make healthier food choices and add to their well being as they grow up. Schools should take more into consideration the power that food can have on children and their performance in school.

African American Studies paper Essay

The civil rights movement was a mass protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination in the southern states that came to a national eminence during the mid 1950’s. This movement can be said to be a â€Å"long time coming† for African slaves and their descendants to resist racial oppression, especially after the United States abolished slavery. Although, slaves were emancipated during the civil war & were then granted basic civil rights through the passing of the 14th amendment and 15th amendment they still struggled and suffered trying to get â€Å"equality† for the next hundred years. Throughout the period of time in which African Americans fought for equality, desegregation and racism, the United States made massive changes. Beginning with the Jim Crow Laws, the countless court cases and the vast impact on the Civil Rights leaders during this time period of trying to gain â€Å"equality† there were two sides to this fight. One side was through the nonviolent protest while the other side was more of an active resistance. The modern period of the civil rights movement can ultimately be divided into several phases. Each act of a protest first started off small and ultimately became big. The Brown vs. Board of Education demonstrated that the process of taking legal action strategy of the NAACP could challenge the legal foundations of southern. This thought or strategy would only work if blacks came together instead of individually trying to conquer. Therefore during the 1950’s and 1960’s the NAACP sponsored legal suits and social movement seeking social changes accompanied legislative lobbying. The primary phase of the black protest began on Page 2 December 1, 1955 when a woman named Rosa Parks, of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white bus rider. In the result of not giving her seat up she was defying a southern custom that required blacks to give seats toward the front of the buses to whites. Therefore by not giving up her seat she was then arrested and put in jail. When she was jailed a black community boycott of the city’s buses began. The boycott lasted more than a year, demonstrating the unity and determination of black residents. The well-known Martin Luther King, Jr. who was most famous for his â€Å"I have a dream† speech was the most active leader of this boycott. Although King and Parks were apart of the NAACP the Montgomery movement led to the creation in 1957 of a new organization called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King as the president. On February 1, 1960 four freshmen at North Carolina A&T College began a wave of sit-ins designed to end segregation at southern diners. These protest resulted in the new organization called the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. August 28th though was the climax of the civil rights movement. That was the day blacks did the March on Washington & Martin Luther King, Jr.gave his â€Å"I have a dream† speech. King with the help of many others helped bringing the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. After the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the last major racial protest would be the Selma to Montgomery march. Soon after the march Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. By the late 1960’s there was a growth of a new organization with more of a radical approach, the organization was called the Black Panther Party. During the late half of the 1960’s there were a series of â€Å"riots†. Page 3 Supporters of black liberation saw civil rights reforms as an insufficient method because they did not address the problems faced by millions of poor blacks. Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X influenced the Black Nationalism group. After the 1960’s civil rights movement blacks witnessed both group of leaders, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. , assassinated. The mark these two men left behind did not fade away though. Despite the civil right’s gains of the 1960’s racial discrimination remained a significant factor in America. Even after President Johnson declared a war on poverty and Dr. King initiated a Poor People’s Campaign in 1968, the distribution of the nation’s wealth and income moved toward greater inequality during the 70’s and 80’s. Some advantages of the Civil Right’s & Black Power movement was that ethnic minorities gained rights that should not have been denied to them on the basis of skin color. The common law did not provide satisfactory protection of basic human rights for the future of the community. The civil rights movement ensured that rights are protected and courts require a clear direction about what rights should be protected. The con about the civil rights movement was that the increase of litigation in the courts would give excessive power to the judiciary rights. Earlier in the essay I referenced the different movements but what I didn’t mention was that both groups took different strives to achieve their goals. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference took more of a non-violent approach to reach their goals according to the â€Å"Southern Christian Leadership Conference† website. While King and his group was more of a non-violent group, the Page 4. Black Nationalism and Malcolm X were more radical. Malcolm X had coined the phrase â€Å"by any means necessary† which meant he wanted to achieve equal rights at any length of sacrifice. Even though Malcolm X said, â€Å"by any means necessary† according to Dr. Stephanie L. McKinney he only used violence as a â€Å"self defense†. Martin Luther King Jr. on the other hand realized that nonviolent tactics was the way to go. Ultimately both leaders pursued the same goal and both achieved it. As you can see in the paragraphs above both Martin Luther King Jr.and Malcolm X had two different approaches to gain equality but I support Martin Luther King Jr. ways of gaining equality more than Malcolm X’s. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the few people who lived up to what he preached. Martin Luther King Jr. sold out to his cause, was passionate about his mission, and connected with the audience. Malcolm X’s radical movement was the reason why I couldn’t side with him. I respect Malcolm X but disagree with any view that encourages violence. King wanted change with his voice, which in my opinion is the strongest tool for someone, who doesn’t support violence. If you think about it physical punishment is dealt to one person and everyone else doesn’t necessarily feel the pain but words can be felt through everyone who’s listening. Just like many other movements and eras the Civil Rights & Black Power movement started, climaxed, then faded. Although, this era influenced many generations that came later and many people still benefit from the efforts of the Civil Rights leaders such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. , & Malcolm X. Some former civil rights activists, such as John Lewis, Andrew Young, and Jesse Jackson, launched Page 5 careers in electoral politics. American civil rights legislation of the 1960s became the center for affirmative action programs that increased opportunities for many black students and workers as well as for women, disabled people, and other victims of discrimination. However, civil rights issues continued to stimulate protests, particularly when previous gains appeared to be threatened. Overall, the 20th-century struggle for civil rights produced an enduring transformation of the legal status of African Americans and other victims of discrimination. It also increased the responsibility of the government to enforce civil rights laws. APA Citations Page 54h. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. (n. d. ). Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam [ushistory. org]. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www. ushistory. org/us/54h. asp From Black Revolution to â€Å"Radical Humanism†: Malcolm X between Biography and International History. (n. d. ). Home. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www. humanityjournal. org/humanity-volume-3-issue-2/black-revolution-radical-humanism-malcolm-x-between-biography-and-internat. McKinney, S. (n. d. ). Malcolm X. About. com 20th Century History. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://history1900s. about. com/od/people/a/Malcolm-X. htm Nonviolent Resistance. (n. d. ). Nonviolent Resistance. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://mlk-kpp01. stanford. edu/index. php/encyclopedia/ Southern Christian Leadership Conference. (n. d. ). Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/southern_christian_leadership_co. htm.

Contemporary Women in Visual Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary Women in Visual Art - Essay Example However, there is increasing war for fair representation of women in visual art. In the article â€Å"China’s Female Artists Quietly Emerge† by Cotter, this issue is deeply discussed. This paper presents a critical analysis of this article by evaluating its approach, relevant insights, authenticity, viewpoints, and authoritativeness among others. The place of women has been greatly contested in the recent times. As the article presents it, women in China have had no any chance in Chinese visual art for a long time despite their profound talents in different fields of visual arts. Having reached a breaking point, they are presenting their anger by openly defying social norms that enclose men into the world of arts. Cotter uses a rich mix of literature techniques to present her point of view. The article begins with a very interesting and captivating introduction that directly catches the mind of the reader. From the word go, the issue discussed within the article is intr oduced. Xiao Lu demonstrates her anger and protest in a national art gallery by shooting at a mirrored sculpture. It is actually ironical that this was the first Chinese government sponsored exhibition and did not address the role of women in visual art. What she had done was a symbolic explosion that expressed protest among the international art enthusiasts and critics. Indeed Li Xianting, an art critic, criticized the incident as a precursor to the infamous Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The big issue presented by the article is the position given to women in contemporary art particularly in china. Women, however talented, are rarely given a chance to display their artistic talent, especially in visual arts. Men always take the first preference. Artwork done by women is a rare commodity to find even in large and modernized social settings such as Beijing. Although the article does not have a reference list, most of the information can be traced back to the original source. For instance, the event on the article correlates with later happenings as claimed in the article. A follow up on Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 shows that Xiao Lu protest event at the national gallery could indeed have been a precursor of the Tiananmen Square protests. Further investigation proves that Li Xianting is indeed claimed to be a Godfather of Chinese contemporary avant-garde art. Yin Xuizhen is indeed a contemporary art enthusiast as claimed in the article. These plus other examples prove that though the article does not have a reference list, the information contained therein is authentic and trustworthy. However, the failure to include references in the article has given the author a great deal of flexibility in expressing the main ideas. The main idea is developed from a neutral point without much influence from works of other authors. It can be claimed that the article is written in an idealistic point of view. The article takes on a woman character and develops her c ontribution to the agenda of contemporary visual artwork. The contributions of contemporary visual artists, such as Ms. Xiao, Lin Tianmiao, Yin Xuizhen, and Lu Qing, have been well elaborated, and this expresses the viewpoint clearly. The article presents the issue of contemporary artists in a time in history when gender equality and affirmative actions have received heightened attention. Interestingly, Beijing happens to be a global symbol regarding representation of women issues. The fourth world conference on women took

Critical Thinking and the Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical Thinking and the Society - Essay Example Non-Critical Thinker Critical Thinker To evaluate the information and the conclusions drawn from it, the critical thinker should have the â€Å"questioning power.† To think critically the thinker must ask questions to get as much information as possible and to judge how far the information collected is relevant, applicable, important and significant. Then after the thinker needs to ask questions in regards to the conclusion drawn from this information. Using logic he needs to think if the conclusion is fair, logical, reasonable and consistent with all the collected information. There are different kinds of questions for critical thinking related to different activities. There are tools for Getting the Facts, Evaluating the Facts, Drawing a Conclusion and Evaluating the Conclusion. SKILLS REQUIRED FOR CRITICAL THINKING. Critical Thinking is an art which can be learned over time and needs special skills for its successful implementation: Rationality. It’s about reply on t he reasons and facts rather than emotions. Rationality is more based on known evidences and follows them where it leads. Self-Awareness. One can think critically when recognizes his/her own point of view without being biased. Honesty. One can think critically if he/she recognises emotional impulses, selfish motives, purposes or other modes of self-deception. Open-mindedness. Critical thinking demands reasonable inferences, variety of point of views or perspectives open to alternative interpretations. Critical thinking needs to be open to new explanations, model or paradigm if they explain the evidences better with more simplicity with more data. Judgement. Critical thinking always recognises the relevant and/or merit of alternative... Thus critical thinking is used in all our important decisions in our daily life. It affects one’s growth personally as well as professionally. The concepts and principles of critical thinking can be applied to any context. Thus critical thinking is based on one universal principal but its application to different disciplines requires reflective conceptualisation. Critical thinking is gaining importance in academics as well as to judge professional’s potential within a professional environment. Academically, Critical Thinking enables the students to analyse, evaluate, explain and restructure their thinking, thereby decreasing the risk of adopting, acting on and thinking with a false belief. However this kind of academics is only introduced in the West whereas in the East it’s still not prevalent. Introducing critically thinking into the curriculum would help the students to build thinking skills which would not only benefit them as individuals but would benefit the democracy as well. Professionally, the people who think critically are called the clear thinkers and are in high demand as they whittle down solutions for the company. Critical thinking would play a very important role in today’s alarming decline of the earth’s natural resources. The society can turn towards critical thinking only if thinking is considered as primary and not as a complex phenomenon. If the existing problems in the world are critically thought over with a open mind and unbiased natured, these problems could definitely get a solution.

Business Intelligence in the Company's Management Practices Essay - 1

Business Intelligence in the Company's Management Practices - Essay Example Whole Foods Market depends on organizational structure to ensure performance that would impact employees and customers.   Since January 2001 Whole Food Market has experienced an increase in sales, profits, and stock prices.   The success of the company has flourished from the hard work of team members and strong leadership throughout the company.  Ã‚  Whole Foods Market depends on organizational structure to ensure performance that would impact employees and customers.   Since January 2001 Whole Food Market has experienced an increase in sales, profits, and stock prices.   The success of the company has flourished from the hard work of team members and strong leadership throughout the company.  Ã‚   The Executive Team, also known as the E-Team, consists of the Ceo, Co-Ceo, Company President, Vice President of Growth and Development and the Financial Officer.   These five leaders work together to improve the company’s performance and production through decision ma king.   Unlike many companies, Whole Foods’ E-team discusses and debates their ideas until they all come together in agreement as a team.   In doing so, they are able to provide the company, customers and team members with the proper attention and performance needed. Co-CEO Walter Robb and Company President A.C. Gallo, are responsible for operating the company’s marketing process, purchasing products from suppliers and vendors, and distributing products to all twelve regions.     These twelve regions include the United Kingdom, Southern Pacific, Northern California, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southwest, Midwest, South, Florida Northeast, Mid Atlantic and North Atlantic.   Within these regions, there are over three hundred stores, five commissaries, nine distribution centers and over fifty-four thousand team members.     Robb and Gallo’s goal and commitment are to purchase and distribute from local vendor and suppliers quality products that will attract customers to shop at local Whole Foods stores.   When customers are satisfied with products this makes an impact on the company which in turn produces growth, productivity and prosperity. As the years continue to move forward, E-team will keep working together as a collaborative leadership team to influence and lead Whole Foods Market into remarkable growth and success.   Because of its well-developed structure, Whole Foods Market will continue to make a great impact on customers, employees and suppliers.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 151

Assignment Example http://www.yourdictionary.com/cyberpornography 2. Email spoofing involves creating and sending email messages using a forged sender address so that the recipients of the messages are mislead about the actual source of the message. http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/e_mail_spoofing.html 3. Intellectual property crime is a criminal activity that involves using a person’s design, trade mark, patent, or copyright without their permission. http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ipenforce/ipenforce-crime.htm 6. Data diddling is the illegal act of changing data before or as one enters it into a computer system and changing it back after it has been processed by the system. http://cybercrimeandforensic.blogspot.com/2009/02/data-diddling.html 8. Virus attack is an attack to a computer system by a malware program that replicates and modifies data files, computer programs, or hard drives after getting executed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus 9. Salami attack is an attack that involves the acquisition of small, almost insignificant amounts of information or assets from different sources and using them to commit illegal activities such as electronic theft http://all.net/CID/Attack/papers/Salami2.html . 11. Trojan attack – an attack by a malware that poses as a program that is beneficial or harmless but that actually helps cyber criminals commit crime by stealing data from a computer system http://www.antivirus.com/security-software/definition/trojan-horse/ 15. Passphrase – a set of words or other characters that is used to controlling access to information, files, program, or computer system

Role of the Man in the Family Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role of the Man in the Family - Research Paper Example A man is an extremely crucial member of the family, and his roles are exceptionally crucial for smooth functioning and success of the family. Different families and cultures assign different roles to men, but there are universal men’s roles that are widely accepted in all cultures and families. Men’s roles range for love, protection, decision-making, family support, provision, fatherhood, husband, teaching and family security, (Bronstein and Carolyn 344). Men as the family heads preside over crucial family matters and issues that affect the well-being of the family. He is responsible for making key decisions in the family, for instance, decisions concerning the family property such as land acquisition, disposal, allocation between family members (children) and family development. Men are wage earners and providers of the needs and requirements of the family. A man should ensure sufficient supply of family basic needs and other means of supporting the unit economically and financially. He should contribute to physical, psychological, emotional support and mental support of the unit. In a bid to achieve this, he should reorganize his available resources to cater for his family needs, (Brody 234). A man as a protector means that he should ensure both physical and emotional security of his family. It implies safeguarding his self-esteem and worth and the self-worth and esteem of his family members. It may also imply safeguarding his ways of livelihood and protecting his family against any external and internal threat, for instance, threat to family property, value, reputation and family members. A man as leaders should lead and direct all the programs and projects of the family. For instance, instead of sitting back and watch his spouse takes initiative in case of a challenge he should take the lead. He should participate in the game and establish what he desires in his family rather than whining about his

Appealing Letter Assignment Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Appealing Letter Assignment - Personal Statement Example From an economic point of view, I gauge that Manama is blessed with the reputation of being the freest market in the Middle East apart from having the fastest growth rate economically. In order to sustain and nurture this explosive economic growth it is only prudent that Bahrain welcomes more labor, skilled as well as semi-skilled. News reports say that, Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) while leading the Kingdom's delegation to the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos held in January 2008 announced plans of raising the country's profile economically. In the context of tourism, it beats its cosmopolitan neighbor Dubai in terms of providing cheaper and more luxurious accommodation. Bahrain is fast emerging as the favorite tourist spot for many tourists in Saudi Arabia due to its proximity and similar cost structure. A major restructuring and expansion project is underway at the Manama airport as part of making it a major cargo hub. Strategically placed in the Middle East, Bahrain has the potential to serve as Cargo centre in the Persian Gulf. Termed the Cargo Oasis an integrated facility is being built on the north of the existing airport. Ahmed Nemat, Assistant Undersecretary Civil Aviation Affairs announced this at the inauguration of the Air Cargo Show 2008. "MANAMA: Workers of a top garment factory went on a rampage... Drawing Flak: But Shamim, of recent, Bahrain has attained a bad reputation of being cruel to its foreign workforce both domestic and industrial. Two cases are being cited as examples here. 27-Mar-05: Labor rage, GDN: "MANAMA: Workers of a top garment factory went on a rampage last night following the death of a colleague. More than 500 Asians working for the MRS Fashions, which makes trousers for J C Penny, started damaging the factory's East Riffa premises after their colleague, who was kept in isolation for 15 days due to chicken pox, committed suicide." (GDN,27-Mar-05, Labor rage) . 7-Jun-04: Sale!! Only BD300 for Bahraini torture! GDN MANAMA: A Bahraini man was jailed for three months yesterday after being convicted of torturing a Bangladeshi employee. The sentence will be suspended if the 26-year-old fish trap maker pays a BD300 fine. (GDN,07-Jun-04, Sale!! Only BD300 for Bahraini torture!) I was disturbed to read these reports in the daily local newspapers. The pace of growth and potential for more infrastructural development naturally necessitates a growing labor population and hence a burgeoning expatriate community in Bahrain. Hence my humble suggestion to you is to galvanize the authorities involved to provide for the safety and security of women and men involved in the developmental work of the illustrious nation. As the two examples point out, the labor force working for Bahrain is denied their self respect, honor and even their earnings. My suggestion is for you to tell the authorities in charge of labor affairs to constitute special laws to take care of foreign workers, ensure their safety and see to it that no more exploitation takes place. My added request to you would be to ask the authorities so that

Computer Platforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Computer Platforms - Essay Example This report will present the research based analysis for the state-of-the-art technology implementation in audio and broadcast areas. This report will suggest and provide the recommendation based analysis for the implementation of this technology at Radio Station. Computers are commanding tools that facilitate users to store and carry out operations on large amounts of data rapidly. Basically every organization, no matter what is the size of organization; makes use of the computers to hold bookkeeping, track inventory, and store documents. As organization develops they frequently need a number of people to input and process data at the same time. For this to be advantageous, those people must be able to distribute the data each person enters. Networking computers turns out to be useful in these circumstances. Networks are merely a collection of computers linked by cable or other media as a result they can share information. Networks made distribution of data much straightforward and more efficient for users (Nash, 2000, p. 5). The development and accomplishment of computer and information technology has fundamentally transformed the working and performance of every field of life (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). At the present time, we have more rapid means of information transferring and communication. The effect of the computer and information technology (ICT) in media industry is tremendously deep and influential (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). The Radio industry is also a most important area of media that has a greater influence in working and handling of the radio station. Over the past few years, modern and the up-to-date Radio technology particular to the area of information and entertainment has transformed dramatically. A supreme example of this is satellite radio. In the place of the listening the customary Radio transmission, we at the present time, are able to listen the local radio channels

Poter Five Forces Essay Example for Free

Poter Five Forces Essay The environment analysis of Coca-cola industry can be done as :Buyers There are many companies to buy the soft drink products. The companies that purchase cold drink includes Fast food franchises, food store, convenience stores and vendings. Generally, the individual buyers for small retails do not have pressure on coca-cola industry. But, the large retailers like: Wal-Mart have pressure or bargainin power on the coca cola because of it’s large order quantity. But again , the bargaining power of the buyers is lessened because of the loyalty of the end consumers towards coca-cola. Substitutes Generally, there are many substitues of coca-cola. It includes water, coffee, tea, fresh juices, etc. Coca-cola is able to counter it’s substitutes through brand equity, advertisment and easy availability. Coca-cola has been spending a huge budget on it’s advertisment with different concepts and it is also easily available in almost every corner of the world. They also began to produce these substitutes (eg:- pepsi) on their own to tap into that segment of the market. Barrier to entry The barrier to entry in the cold drink industry is fairly high. The franchising agreement with the existing bottling companies prohibit bottler’s from taking a new soft drink companies. Even though there is the entry of any new soft drink company in the market, it would not be of any threat for coca-cola company. Suppliers The main ingredents of soft drink are carbonate water, phodphoric acind , sweetner and caffeine. The suppliers of these ingredents are not concentrated or differentiated. Many suppliers can be available easily. If a new soft drink company enters the market, it would be very easy for a new soft drink company to find a supplier willing to sell these ingredents to them. Rivalry Talking about today’s context , the main competitor of coca-cola is pepsi. These both soft drink is able to survive in the market giving throat to throat competition to each other. Both have their own marketing concepts, advertisment concepts and stategies. The slogan of coca-coal is â€Å"Open Happiness† which generally focuses on togetherness and spreading happiness. Likewise, other soda brands that became famous was Dr. Pepper because of it’s unique flavour. Thus, in this way the environment analysis on coca-cola can be done through â€Å"Poter’s Five Forces Model†.

E-Business Infrastructure Essay Example for Free

E-Business Infrastructure Essay There is a need for businesses today to take advantage of e-business in order to achieve their organizational goals and objectives. The world market today is competitive; hence for any business organization to achieve a market share for its goods and services, it had to develop a well enhanced e-business infrastructure in order to reach a wider market. Cost of business operations is greatly reduced by use of E-Business since customer support costs are reduced and customers are able to serve themselves at their convenient time. As for the case of Pokey organization which has a live music venue, that serves as both as a bar and a restaurant, it should take advantage of e-business in order to increase reduce costs of operation and increase client base. It is necessary for Pokey to ensure it incorporate all the required infrastructure in its website in order to ensure it is a position of coping up with e-business demand. However, many businesses with website fail since they do not adequately take into consideration all the requirements of e-business infrastructure, thereby, their e-business fail to meet their demand. Some of the required technical infrastructures for e-business include:   Hardware Software Technology of Internet and server Security solutions Intranets Extranets Myriad of applications Supply chain management that is integrated. Business intelligence [2] As for Pokey organization, it should be aware that infrastructure is more than  technology hence it should be well considered in the implementation. They should be aware that infrastructure includes; A number of sources that would supply platform services of technology. All the skills and expertise that may be required in order to deliver technology of infrastructure. All the processes that would be required to manage the entire infrastructure. Finally, it also involves all the necessary investments that would be needed for better operations and functioning of the entire IT infrastructure for the purpose of delivering e-business solution that would be appropriate in the modern world. Infrastructure involves an interaction that is vibrant as it also includes tools, people who are skilled and processes. For this case, Pokey organizational infrastructure has to be well built taking into consideration that it includes are the required facilities that are required in building and launching a website that would be simple to understand and interactive. [3] In conclusion, Pokey organization will achieve their organization goals and objectives if they develop a website that would incorporate the entire required infrastructure. The website would ensure that the organization is in a position of meeting the entire e-business demand. This will also ensure that the organizational objective of maximizing profits is achieved since they will reduce operational costs such a customer services while at the same increases their client base. [1] McConnell Associates (2000): An Intelligently Managed Network Infrastructure for E-Business, Retrieved from, http://www.cisco.com/application/pdf/en/us/guest/products/ps2428/c1244/ccmigration_09186a0080088a2b.pdf, on June 19, 2007 [2] Optima Media Group (2006): Building the e-Business Infrastructure: Management Strategies for Corporate Transformation, Retrieved from http://www.business-intelligence.co.uk/reports/ebus_infra/default.asp, on June 19, 2007 [3] McConnell Associates (2000): An Intelligently Managed Network Infrastructure for E-Business, Retrieved from, http://www.cisco.com/application/pdf/en/us/guest/products/ps2428/c1244/ccmigration_09186a0080088a2b.pdf, on June 19, 2007

Procurement of Goods and Services Strategies

Procurement of Goods and Services Strategies Introduction Procurement is the acquisition of goods, works and services. The process covers a whole cycle from the identification of needs through the supply of the product and to the end of the service contact and even the end of the useful life of the asset procured. This chapter explains the background of this research work, the problem discussion and the overview of the structure adopted in this dissertation. Background The speed of technological advancement is so much now that no part of the global world can afford to be left behind especially now that the world has become a global village. Businesses all over the world are hence looking for strategies that will position them and make them have a competitive advantage whatever it takes. Such competitive advantage could be gotten from doing business at a low cost achieving lot of savings or having an effective work system. That is what a good procurement best practice strategy can deliver to any organisation. Many Organizations are now seen trying to focus on making their procurement strategies as efficient and cost effective as possible to ensure they have a competitive edge in their industries. According to source one management services, LLC, (2008) the advent of Best Practice Procurement Processes has suddenly seen a lot of companies realizing substantial cost reductions through: Having a proper understanding of the cost drivers used in determining total cost of ownership. Elimination of all non-value adding process thereby Increasing efficiency across the entire supply chain. Aggregation of demand, supplier rationalization, strategic sourcing, and enhanced supplier relationships resulting in improved cycle time. Electronically enabling the supply chain through the use of paperless e-Procurement tools and e-commerce portals. Reduction of carrying costs, warehousing, movement, obsolescence and shrinkage through the alternative inventory ownership agreements – retained consignment and vendor managed inventory. Problem discussion Different strategies are often used in achieving the best procurement processes in various industries. The need for developing countries especially Nigeria industries not to be left behind in utilizing these opportunity has necessitated this research work. For the purpose of this study, I will consider the extent to which procurement practices in Nigeria has adopted the three key strategies discussed in the work namely the lean supply, the e-procurement and the green supply strategies as it relates to environmental friendly policies adopted by various organisations in Nigeria. Kirk Zylstra (2007 p 10), argued that the main objective of all supply chain executives today is he to ensure that future business forecasts, ever changing customer demand, and other variations across the supply chain do not upset their carefully laid cost-reduction plans. Its however been discovered that the main obstacle to this vision is the ability to model budgets, accurately tie real costs to operations, and develop processes that execute these plans daily. This is where the application of lean principles to supply chain operations can help. According to Len Cooper, Senior Vice president of supply chain Halliburton, confirms that Halliburton is focusing mostly on Lean strategies with suppliers, and less so on Six Sigma because, as Cooper explains, Lean focuses on speed and throughput, which is easier for suppliers to apply and is in fact a goal for our suppliers. He went further to states that ‘’we would rather have our best suppliers grow with us, especially in these times, rather than go out and find more suppliers in order to gain access to additional capacity. We wanted to share our Creativity Over Capital ideas and experiences and benefits with them. In one of the report done by Andrea Ovans of Harvard Business report on E- procurement at Schlumberger Oilfield Services, (the worlds largest oil service company on is using the Web to revolutionize the way it buys equipment and supplies) on What they accomplished by moving to e-procurement?. The brain behind the strategy, Paris-based Alain-Michel Diamant Berger explains that ‘’We replaced a number of different systems some that were paper based, some that were automated with a single desktop system. Thats allowed us to streamline and speed up our entire purchasing operation. He further confirmed that buying supplies and equipment has often been very slow and complicated in the past, with lots and lots of papers and approval processes involved before executing a buy. However employees now act as their own purchasing agents, placing orders directly through their PCs and receiving the goods they need much more quickly. The advantage here is that the e procurement single system adopted by Schlumberger which help to consolidate purchases and gain greater volume discounts from our vendors. According to Derek Parker The ultimate aim is to achieve specific, measurable results that improve competitiveness across the supply chain by applying sustainable development practices.’’ Suppliers are often made to understand that sustainable practices improve the long term financial bottom line and in many cases the ‘greening’ of supply chain has a positive interaction with a move towards lean manufacturing, and sustainable processes which are ways of eliminating waste. From the aforementioned strategies adopted by Schlumberger, Halliburton and other organisations described as seen above, it is obvious that there is need to adopt a more aggressive strategy as that adopted by these organisations in order to remain competitive and relevant to their respective industry. The purpose of this research therefore is to evaluate the extent to which these all important strategies have been adopted by organisation in Nigeria, noting the implication and the key hindrance inhibiting these strategies. It is also critical to note that while Sustainable Procurement activities are common in many developed countries, the awareness and implementation is still relatively low in most developing countries. While I recognise the important role that procurement policies can play to support of sustainable development, this research is aims to contribute to the adoption of sustainable procurement strategy in developing countries especially Nigeria. Overview of the dissertation structure The whole dissertation is divided into six major chapters. This chapter which serves as the introduction gives the background and overview of the importance of the topic, the purpose of the research and finally the research questions then introduced. The second chapter provides the reader the opportunity to have an insight into the literature review on some the topics related to the research. This leads us to the third chapter giving the details of the methodology adopted in the carrying out the research. It explains the purpose, the approach and the strategy adopted for the research. It also shows the synopsis of how I arrived at the method I finally adopted for the research. Chapter four gives the highlight of the background of the companies used for this case study and all data gathered in the course of the research. These data were analysed in chapter five while a final conclusion and implications was drawn in chapter six based on the findings of the data analysis. 2.0 Literature Review With the global economic melt down across the nations, organisations are expected to seek a way out of this challenge, among others, looking for a way to reduce turn around time and cost through their procurement strategies. Competition therefore in today’s global market is not only between different companies but also between supply chains management systems. The evolvement in technological advancement and organizational improvements are important for effective supply chain management; however, the main cause of SCM improvements according to juril et al, (2006) is not the implementation of an information system itself, but rather a change and an integration of business processes. Over the years some changes have taken place in the development of innovative procurement strategies especially in sectors like manufacturing, retail, oil and Gas, construction and even service oriented industry. Jim Scotti, (2007) believes Procurement is now evolving into a far more strategic discipline, driven principally by a greater awareness of the financial implications of executing the function well. There are different procurement strategies adopted by organisations in the market place but using the best procurement practices would guaranty the desired success for any organisation. Based on different literatures written by authors the subject of procurement, some of the commonly adopted procurement best practices include: Creating an efficient system that would save time and money. Creating a pre-qualified and broad supplier base which enables all suppliers to be uniformly and objectively evaluated. Creating a comprehensive bid specification with full details before an invitation for bids is sent to the suppliers in the supplier pool.   Creating mutual acceptance of the process whereby every supplier in the pool knows that it can bid low on any supply.   Ensuring full transparency of bids through sending bid results to all suppliers that participated in the bid.   Monitoring every step of the workflow process to ensure clear communications, attention to every detail and a deliverable end product.   Ensuring that work is performed per specifications and on time.   Completing the project with accurate invoicing.   With the advent of Best Practice Procurement processes, a lot of companies have realized substantial cost reductions through understanding the cost drivers that determine the total cost of the supply chain and completely eliminating all non-value adding process in their supply chain line For the purpose of this report three strategies for achieving Procurement best practices will be considered and these include the adoption of the lean supply, e-procurement and adoption of the green supply strategies. While a lot of research has been done on the lean supply and e-procurement and their benefits if properly implemented, not much seems to be mentioned on the green supply principles and need to implement these strategies to achieve procurement best practices while considering the environmental friendly green supply chain management scheme in various organisations and how companies can benefit from this inevitable procurement procedure. Lean Supply Strategy Lean as described by Nigel (2006) is the process of achieving the flow of products and services to meet customers demand in the right quantity, right time, right place at the lowest price with no waste. The key principle focuses on maximizing customer value by producing goods and services with higher quality, fewer defects eliminating various forms of waste or any non-value adding activities through all possible continuous improvement processes. Womark (1996) described the five principles of lean, which includes: identify the value demanded by customer Identify the steps involved in the whole value stream Generate a flow in the value stream Produce only what is pulled by customer Strive for perfection through continuous improvement The adoption of these key principles in procurement activities in order to ensure that the organisation maximises the value of every good or service purchased explains the reason for lean supply or procurement as it applies to this research. R. Stratton (2003) believes Lean supply enables flow and the elimination of wasteful processes within the supply chain. Its focuses on continuous improvement strategies, through the elimination all non-value creating activities, reducing waste and effectively the cost of procurement. According to Lubben, (1998), lean supply aims at improving efficiency, quality and delivery performance of suppliers. It also focuses on removing all non value adding activities so as to reduce the cost of supply of material. For any procurement strategy to succeed the purchasing manager must be able to connect the strategy with the financial implication or performance. W.D. Presutti Jr. (2003) Benefit of adopting lean procurement Organizations within a lean supply chain are able to leverage their own lean journey more easily, delivering better customer value by responding more efficiently, quickly, and predictably to customer needs. That, in turn, facilitates the operation of the lean supply chain, creating a virtuous cycle that ultimately translates to superior financial performance for these organizations. In the article ‘Halliburton pushes Lean Six Sigma to its supply base’ (2009), the use of lean six sigma between 2004 and 2008, tripled their output from its manufacturing plants without any meaningful increase in the total capital footprint for those plants. The companys manufacturing cycle times were reduced, increasing their asset utilization out of all their equipment. According to Len Cooper, who is the Senior Vice president of supply chain management in Halliburton states that the lean process alleviated the need for more capital investment to support the type of output growth they experienced with the adoption of lean six sigma. Generally, the adoption of lean supply gives a lot of other benefits which includes achieving a minimal level of defects in supply, frequent deliveries.( Handfield, 1993) He further argued that because there are smaller number of suppliers, this could lead to developing a long term relationship between the buy and supplier which eventually leads reduced products price that would benefit the purchasing organisation. Strategies to adopt a lean supply system Inadequate management of the procurement process adds cost and adversely impacts customer service. In the current competitive environment such inefficiencies can no longer be tolerate. It is therefore necessary for organisations to focus more on their supply chain management system and adapt the concept of strategic lean supply chain management to their internal systems so as to eliminate all non value adding process. Sidney Hill Jr (2008) argued that the lean supply chain system cannot just happen. They emerge from strong working relationships between supply chain partners i.e the purchasing organisations, who are thoroughly committed to continuous improvement processes. Organisations especially the multinational expected to help their train their suppliers to fit into the required standard for supply. This could be organising training for their staff and help setting up some infrastructure that would encourage the lean practice. E-procurement Strategy E-procurement can be seen as a very valuable tool for organisations experiencing difficulties in their supply chain. If properly implemented, e-procurement can be used to connect a link between companies and their business processes with suppliers while managing all interactions between them. It encourages management of correspondence, bids, questions and answers, previous pricing, and multiple emails sent to multiple participants. Defined in different ways by many scholars. Presutti, ( 2002) describes electronic-procurement as the productive use of the internet to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the supply end of the supply chain. Davila et al. (2002) describes it as any technology designed to facilitate the acquisition of goods over the internet. Most literatures written on e- procurement addressed various issues in their definition. While some such as Brunnelli, (1999), Carabello, 2001 and others limits the definition to acquisition of goods over the internet, Scott and Westbrook (1998); New and Payne, (1995) believes that it should have a broad definition which includes the entire value chain, including materials and supply chain management from the extraction of raw materials to its end of useful life. In most recent times, there has been a change of focus from the strategic view of market to an internal re engineering discovered in supply chain management. This is obvious because e-procurement provides a set of built-in monitoring tools to help control costs, maximum supplier performance and deliver value to the purchasing organisation if adequately maximized. Benefit of e- procurement strategy The use of e-Procurement system help managers make decisions through access to catalogues of many suppliers keeping track of all means of bids while leveraging on knowledge to obtain better pricing. It provides organised, standardized and track able information with the elimination of the use of paper work. Kalakota and Robinson, (2000) explains that the main objective of any company’s e-procurement strategy is to better manage the firm’s operational costs. Basically, the strategy of e-procurement could be seen under two broad umbrella: the effectiveness and the efficiency of use- Davila et al, (2002) and Presutti (2002). Dai and Kauffman, (2000) however argues the benefit in e-procurement in terms of the high returns on investment (ROI) achieved through reduced operating and search cost. A view of benefit of e-procurement adopted by Davila et al, (2002) and Presutti (2002) explains the efficiency and effectiveness of using e-procurement. This includes: a better managed inventory level, cost effectiveness and savings achieved, improved efficiency of the procurement process, reduced maverick spending and better flow of information between buyers and supplier. According to Davila et al (2002), the main reason for the investment on the technology platform used for e-procurement is to achieve cost saving. He confirms that the adoption of e-procurement technologies reported a savings of 42 per cent in purchasing transaction costs. A summary of the various benefits associated with e-procurement as seen in many of the literatures includes but not limited to; Better value for money. Its helps to reduce inventory level and therefore serves as a cost saving measure for the organisation. The managers often know the product, the bid prices and the supplier to contact whenever the product is needed. Completely reduces transaction cost such as requisition, ordering administration and storage cost. E-procurement solution helps firms to interact with a wider supplier base and gives firms the opportunity to reach the unknown but qualified source of suppliers. It also provides the spirit of fair play. There is reduced duplication leading to a more efficient purchasing. It increases the ability to track strategic information and data on procurement including purchasing patterns. E-Procurement systems also allow multiple access levels and permissions help managers organize administrative users by roles, groups, or tasks. Procurement managers do not need to be as highly trained or paid because such systems are standardized and easy to learn. The system also links together the company’s procurement unit/department around the world and allows them share information about their best suppliers According to (Presutti, 2002) , the e-procurement system enables firms to more efficiently and accurately capture and aggregate budget spending in various purchasing product area, allowing the firms to bring what may be significant buying power leverage to market. The online real time of e-procurement technology no doubt provides buyers and sellers with the opportunity to share information in building specification of products which add value to resulting product and build strong relation. The larger the base of participating suppliers, considering the benefits to both sides, the greater will be the business value of e-procurement solution. (Presutti, 2002) In conclusion, every organisation’s goal is to achieve a good return on investment. According to OSD (2001), e-procurement enables the reduction in cost of goods procured and procurement processing time and cost have direct impact on return on investment (ROI). E-procurement risk management As seen from the numerous literatures on e-procurement, the research on the adoption of e-procurement has been made tremendous impact in many organisation, unfortunately not much as done on the risk management of e- procurement, especially within the industries considered in Nigeria. Douglas Hubbard ( 2009) describes ‘Risk management as the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risk followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events’. Risk management is the finding out the possibility of ‘a wrong’ happening, how it can be avoided, fixed or reduced to the barest minimum whenever it occurs Davila et al (2002), agrees that new e-procurement technologies has become an vital part of supply chain management activities and that the rate of adoption will accelerate as aggressive users share their experiences and perceptions of low risk. He went further to argue that the actual benefits and risks of e-procurement technologies and manger’s evolving perceptions about the benefits and risks will determine the speed at which the technology moves from its developmental infancy to the adoption and the maturity stages. E-procurement is no doubt growing in most industry and this is due to the competitiveness in most industry and the ever changing nature of the demands of the customers. Some of the risk identified in different literature includes: External business risk: This happen when there’s no effective communication between the organisation’s e procurement system and the customers and suppliers. External parties such as suppliers need to be able to develop internal systems that facilitate the communication through electronic means (an issue that demands technology investments as well as incentives) connected to the e- procurement system. To achieve a successful e-procurement technology, suppliers must have an electronic access via the Internet and should provide sufficient catalogue choices to satisfy the requirements of their customers-purchasers. Although most suppliers, especially in low margin industries, may be undecided or even unable to meet such demands without guarantees of future revenue streams. And also since some of the business models associated with e-procurement technologies (e.g. auctions, consortia, and exchanges) may be thinking of using suppliers with whom the buyer has not previously transacted business, companies need to develop mechanisms that provide the buyer with assurances that the supplier meets or exceeds recognizable and industry enforced standards relating to supplier quality, service, and delivery capabilities. Reputation risk: This type of risk occurs when there’s a breach of data that can damage an organisation’s reputation. Reputation risk occurs for example, when there is duplication in the information on the system which jeopardizes the reliability of the information Implementing e-procurement strategy requires not only having a successful purchasing process in place but also the ability to integrate all existing infrastructures. Okah et al (2007) Technology risk: As the growth of e-procurement advances, most organisation fears the lack of a widely accepted standard and a clear understanding of which e-procurement technologies best suit the needs of each company. This lack of generally acceptable standard serves as a hindrance to the use of commonly integrated software across all e-procurement activities. This suggest that an acceptable and open standard would be required to fully integrate all facilitates among the various organization using the e-procurement technologies. Without widely accepted standards for coding, technical, and process specifications, the adoption of e-procurement technology will be slow and will fail to the desired benefits. Process risk: Frew (2005, p 397) explains that process risk are risk associated with the security and control of the e-procurement process itself. There is need to provide evidence to non users that this technology will not breach control or security or any privacy issue. Organizations must be confident, for example, that unauthorized actions will not disrupt production or other supply chain activities when committing to e-procurement technologies Internal Business risk: According to Davila, et al, (2002) certain risk that are linked with the adoption of e-procurement need to be addressed before these technologies are widely accepted. Although, e-procurement in itself reduces the risk of human factor, maybe due to loss of certain document or misappropriation of data, but there is still a human interface which can also result to a form of risk or error. Okah (2008) describes it as human error risks. In conclusions risk are sometimes unavoidable but adequate measure should be in place to mitigate any kind of such risk whenever it arises and that is the purpose of risk management as it applies to procurement. Davila et al, (2002) also described some risk associated with the integration of technologies with existing information systems, with the business models that these technologies impose on supplier-customer relations and with the security and control mechanisms required to insure their appropriate use. Avery, (2002) however believes that e-procurement are essentially global, many of its limitations come from the geographic, cultural and organizational limitation of the underlying businesses in which they are adopted. Green Sustainable Procurement Strategy There has been increased awareness in our environment as its affects global warming, production of non recyclable packages and some toxic substances. A lot of Organisations have been seen applying the green principle to their organisation activities including the supply chain activities. A Green Sustainable Supply Chain can be defined as the process of using environmentally friendly inputs and transforming these inputs through change agents whose by-products can improve or be recycled within the existing environment. This process develops outputs that can be reclaimed and re-used at the end of their life-cycle thus, creating a sustainable supply chain.- Patrick P (2007) According to Seuring, (2004), Green supply chain management, could be referred to as environmental supply chain management or sustainable supply chain management. This includes green purchasing, green manufacturing/materials management, green distribution/marketing and reverse logistics (Sarkis, 2005) The environmental sustainability according to Madu, et al., (2002) has gradually become part of the overall corporation culture and, in turn, has helped to restructure the strategies of corporations With this increasing awareness in environmental sustainability, companies are beginning to streamline their operations and look for means of reducing their excess inventory, determine the optimal right-shoring plan, and reduce fuel expenses and logistics costs while reducing overall carbon emissions. Purchasers are therefore faced with enormous task of focusing on the design and packages of the products supplied by their suppliers The act of purchasing activities that include the reduction, reuse and recycling of materials is therefore paramount to organisation competitive existence in the marketplace- Carter, et al. (1998) Procurement officers are now trained to go for product with less non recyclable bye products or packages. Study has shown that the cost of most goods are in the packaging, thus if the packaging can be reduced, perhaps made to be recycled, the cost of the product will eventually be low. According to Faith-Ell, et al., (2006) the environmental performance of products and services can improve if purchaser express environmental preferences through the so called green procurement Walton, et al., (1998); Zhu and Cote, (2004) confirms that organisations that adopt the green supply chain management system may generate environmental and business performances. Following various legislation by different Government, consumers are beginning to have preference for product or services produced by environmental friendly organisations. Purba, (2002) also confirm that the practise of a green supply chain, can result in an improved environmental performance through the reduction in waste and emissions as well as better environmental commitment while improving competitiveness (better product quality, increase in efficiency, enhancing productivity and cutting cost), resulting to a better economic performance (new marketing opportunities and increasing product price, profit margin, market share and sale volume). This was supported by Derek Parker who confirms that the ultimate aim of green supply is to achieve specific,measurable results that improve competitiveness across the supply chain by applying sustainable development practices. It is therefore clear based on all the stipulations from the various authors like Walton, et al. (1998), Zhu and Cote (2004) and Purba (2002), as well as other procurement experts, that organizational performance is considered to include environmental and financial performance. The pressure is therefore on all organisations to improve their environmental performances which is a result of the world’s globalization rather than localization (Sarkis and Tamarkin, 2005). Benefits of green supply The benefits of Green supply goes beyond the reduction in waste and emission to the environment but it also benefits the organisation in terms of cost savings. Stevels, (2002) categorised the benefits of green supply into three folds: the financial implication, the company reputation and the societal perception. The financial implication: The green supply chain management practice helps in lowering cost prices for supplier and in turn results to a lower cost for their customers Lower cost of ownership for customer. Better competitive advantage Result to more customers In terms of reputation: Less rejects for supplier Better compliance for societal values. Confirms technological and environment awareness in terms of societal perception: Green supply chain management helps motivation of stakeholder for environment better image for supplier and producer feel good and quality of life for customer Make industry on the right track for society. Green supply chain management helps in lowering the environmental load for environment Duber-Smith, (2005), also highlighted ten reasons why organisations should adopt the green supply strategy: target marketing, sustainability of resources, lowered costs/increased efficiency, product differentiation and competitive advantage, competitive and supply chain pressures, adapting to regulation and reducing risk, brand reputation, return on investment, employee morale, and the ethical imperative. Supplier Evaluation/Selection The responsibilities of buyers or purchasing Managers has changes significantly especially in this competitive environment from purchasing products and service to meet customers needs. It has become necessary for purchasers to provide quality products, delivered just in time by working with adequate numbers of suppliers. Suppliers therefore play a key p